Koroshiya 1 (Ichi the Killer) poster & wallpaper

Nao Omori, Paulyn Sun, Shinya Tsukamoto

Filmmaker Takashi Miike takes inspiration from Hideo Yamamoto's manga, Koroshiya 1, to tell this bloody and bleak tale about the Japanese yakuza. Blond-coiffed Kakihara's "mentor in crime" disappears,...( read more  read more... ) and Kakihara vows to find out who's responsible. He's also on the lookout for Ichi, a sadistic killer who may be able to inflict the level of pain Kakihara so badly craves.

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85% liked it

43,829 ratings

Critics

66% liked it

32 critics

R, 2 hrs. 9 min.

Directed by: Takashi Miike

Release Date: September 14, 2001

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DVD Release Date: November 18, 2003

Stats: 3,988 reviews

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Ichi the Killer Koroshiya 1 (Ichi the Killer) Koroshiya 1 (Ichi the Killer) Koroshiya 1 (Ichi the Killer) Koroshiya 1 (Ichi the Killer) Koroshiya 1 (Ichi the Killer) Kakihara Kakihara Ichi The Killer Nao Omori as Ichi gearing up Koroshiya 1 (Ichi the Killer)
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Flixster Reviews (3,988)

  • SirPant
    September 14, 2009
    SirPant
    Don?t get me wrong, I really like this movie, I just think Takashi Miike shouldn?t have rushed it! Still, a really good, hard core, real life manga classic!
  • evillincoln
    April 22, 2009
    evillincoln
    torture porn much - geez. a blade, or laser for that matter, doesn't exist that could do that to a human body!
  • MidnightMadwoman
    March 12, 2009
    MidnightMadwoman
    Takashi Miike does not try real hard to make his movies make sense, but that's not to say that this hinders them at all. The Kakihara versus Ichi dynamic fuels this movie, and I'm really a sucker for dualities like that. I really liked the way Kakihara tried to out-psycho Ichi, d...( read more)espite the fact that Ichi didn't know he was playing the game. It all made the final battle scene all the more fascinating to watch. Ever want to see a maniac Asian gorhound director's idea of duelling banjoes? This is the film to see.

    To call this film gratuitous and excessive is to miss the point: whereas gratuity takes the viewer OUT of the film, here, gratuity IS the film. The brutality is so relentless and pervasive that moments of genuine kindess, levity and tenderness seem really out-of-place and make the characters visibly uncomfortable.
  • stopitgoaway
    January 7, 2009
    stopitgoaway
    Ichi the Killer is definitely not a film for people who have weak stomachs or who are easily offended. This film contains some of the most shocking images you'll ever see and includes some very disturbing characters that won't be forgotten in a hurry. It is always a very brave mo...( read more)ve for a film maker when they decide to adapt from a manga as manga often has aspects within it that can not be replicated in to a live picture. Takashi Miike makes the transition possible and blows away all walls of reality with an outstanding and totally unforgettable film.

    The plot involves Yakuza boss Anjo going missing with a huge stash of cash, his gang members investigate and a classic game of cat and mouse is involved. This seems simple enough but what is out of the ordinary is that the leader of the investigation, Kakihara (Tadanobu Asano), is a major masochist and Anjo's killer, Ichi (Nao Omori) is the ultimate sadist with a tormented soul. This is where Ichi the Killer's shocking and graphic imagery really come in to force. Miike is uncompromising in his approach with regards to what he delivers on screen. There are no subtleties, no off camera goings on; it is all there for the audience to see, in full detail! The torture scenes, and their results, are especially horrific. If this film had been made in America or Europe, it would have been banned within a second of being made, it's that graphic. What disturbed me more than the disgusting imagery however, were the characters. Ichi's character I found genuinely terrifying as whilst he often comes across as a cartoonish character, there is a disturbingly real quality to his character. Ichi's childlike naivety draws many parallels to past psychotic killers that have existed in real life and his sexual excitement at causing pain and death is incredibly unsettling. Also unsettling is the character of Kakihara. His badly scarred face and clips either side of his lips immediately make him appear a scary figure and the only thing more disturbing than his pleasure for torturing others and watching their pain is his unparalleled love for being beaten and tortured himself.

    What I like about many Asian films is that the acting is often very good and Ichi the Killer is no exception. Tadanobu Asano is brilliant as Kakihara. His performance is charismatic and terrifying, he does a great job of making the role his own. Nao Omori plays Ichi perfectly. The way that he can act tormented, childish and merciless all in one scene is incredible to watch and, as I said before, gives the film a genuinely disturbing edge rather than just immense gore. Alien Sun is very sexy as Karen and the way she speaks more than one language in an almost random fashion adds further mystery to this film. The fact that Karen is the only character who has Ichi's past explained to her from Jijii makes the audience able to empathise with her character more than anyone else. Shinya Tsukamoto is also very good as Jijii. His character is unravelled throughout the film and Tsukamoto is very convincing in his portrayal of what turns out to be a very complex character.

    The purpose of this film is to shock and it achieves its goal to the point where you almost can not watch. With extremely graphic gore and some intense surrealist imagery that Salvador Dali himself would have been proud of, Ichi the Killer will never be forgotten and deserves to be watched by a lot more people (even if they can only watch it once!). Miike is very clever with his direction. The way he blends Kaneko's flash back sequences with the present does wonders to keep the audience's attention. The ending is also done with great style and is very effective in ending the film so it is down to interpretation of the audience.

    Despite being very hard to palate, Ichi the Killer is a fantastic film. Directing, acting, writing and score are all spot on and the quality of the film is very good. Not a film I could handle watching too regularly but definitely a film I'll want to watch a few more times in the future.
  • Stinger839
    December 6, 2008
    Stinger839
    This is a landmark gorefest, with some of the most inventive torture scenes in cinematic history. The plot is a little convoluted but I believe that's because when this transfered from manga to script, alot of characters and unnecessary segments were kept which could have been co...( read more)ndensed.
    Also I've been mislead by the box art for years now. Having just watched it, I now know that the character on the posters is not the infamous Ichi, but his masochistic equivalent Kakihara, who is a far more interesting, if less complex, character than Ichi.
    Some of the CG doesn't fit right, especially the halved body or the first time Kakihara unhinges his whole jaw, and that's not acceptable when the semen used in the title sequence is real (and looks it). Miike could have re-shot the halving scene in a more traditional "Cube" way and it would have been just as good.
    Kakihara should (if you are a stable human being) blow you away with his insane acts of self mutilation; they're truly impeccable and Kakihara is a villain of the highest order.

    MSG TO YOU PEOPLE KNOW WHO YOU ARE: DO NOT WATCH A FUCKING DUB. These dubs redo everything INCLUDING screams and gasps and it just RUINS the movie (obviously the creators wanted viewers to not favor the dubs as they are done so shittily). Dubbed, you won't get the full experience; it's a complete star rating worse with the dubs.

    "So Fucked Up" highlight: the jaw unhinged properly, Kakihara having himself tortured
  • BigMoneyBruce
    November 12, 2009
    BigMoneyBruce
    PRO's : The most extremely violent and bloody japanese mafia movie ever. Sadistic and gory a must see for any horror fan.
    CON's : Made before high definition. I have not seen a dubbed version just subtutled.
  • slavescreams
    November 5, 2009
    slavescreams
    supposed to be one of the most shocking and gross films ever made... now maybe i'm just not easily freaked out but it wasnt half as bad as i expected. really good regardless.
  • JasonAH
    November 2, 2009
    JasonAH
    Sickest movie you will ever see and I couldn't stop watching it.
  • ringoestrella258
    October 28, 2009
    ringoestrella258
    Quite possibly the most violent film ever made.
  • facemeltingshredder
    October 27, 2009
    facemeltingshredder
    Japanese gore movies are great

View All Koroshiya 1 (Ichi the Killer) Reviews

Critic Reviews

May 4, 2005
Nick Schager, Lessons of Darkness

A sizzling, orgiastic celebration of bloodshed and depravity. full review

View more Koroshiya 1 (Ichi the Killer) reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments

  • Sk8erGriffin
    March 24, 2008
    Sk8erGriffin
    For those of you who read it is a Horror. Due to the bad reveiws tauting it as that. IT is NOT a HORROR.
    It is typical Japanese violent-sexual-sadism-pop fusion.
    And this film is so overrated that I wont even watch it again

    or perhaps the scene of the girl being raped and repeatedly beaten (which I guess all these other reviewers enjoyed)is the reason I wont watch it again. Plus Ichi himself was a stupid character.
  • aidalisp
    April 8, 2007
    aidalisp
    hey someone but the wrong name in a pic the one with things is not Nao Omori is Tadanobu Asano please someone change the name and the pic of the actors.
  • o0lylou0o
    April 1, 2007
    o0lylou0o
    Looks crazy and I can't wait to see it!
    LOL the guy from the poster has a Black Dahlia smile...
  • johnpaullucky7
    May 20, 2006
    johnpaullucky7
    you must see it this movie is real good ths has to be one of my fav movie's ever
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